Chapter 9
Chapter Nine
Chloe
H arsh light stabs through my eyelids as consciousness crawls back to me.
I blink awake, disoriented. My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth, dry and swollen, while the sterile burn of antiseptic fills my nostrils.
Where am I? What happened?
The fluorescent lights buzz faintly, casting stark shadows over the room. The thin curtain by the window filters the sunlight, leaving me cold. Every surface gleams, polished to sterility, and a heart monitor beeps from a stand beside my bed.
When I lift my hand to brush away the hair clinging to my sweaty forehead, a sharp sting comes from the IV taped to the back of my hand. Wincing, I drop it back to the hospital blanket that covers me. My body aches, muscles sore and bones heavy. Memories slip through my mind, fragmented and hazy.
I was at Louie’s penthouse… The feverish rush of my Heat… Then all-consuming cold…
A figure in blue scrubs materializes at my bedside, and the nurse’s kind eyes meet mine. “Glad to have you back with us.”
I wet my cracked lips, forcing the words past my raw throat. “Where am I?”
“You’re in a private hospital room, sweetie. Recovering after you overdosed on suppressants.” Concern underlies her gentle tone. “Got your regular and your emergency mixed up, did you?”
My pulse quickens as my memory returns in a rush, and the monitors beep faster.
Louie. He must have found me collapsed in my room and brought me here. Oh god, what did he do to me while I was unconscious?
Panic rises like bile, and I try to assess my body, but everything hurts too much to pinpoint anything specific.
The nurse bustles around, adjusting my IV line.
I reach out to her. “Please, help?—”
The door swings open, and I jerk my hand back as my head snaps in its direction.
Louie strides into my room like he owns it, his dark-blond hair slicked back from his handsome face, and his blue eyes, cold as the Arctic, fix on me. “Ah, you’re finally awake.”
He saunters over to my bedside, exuding an air of Alpha dominance, and my instincts scream at me to dive under the covers to hide.
“Darling, you need to take better care of yourself.” He pulls up a chair, planting himself within my personal space. “Scared me half to death.”
I curl up to make myself smaller.
“You’re so clumsy with your suppressants,” he continues, tone filled with concern while his hard stare dares me to refute his statement. “We’ll make sure your pills are marked more clearly going forward. We don’t want something like this happening again, now do we?”
Fear courses through me like ice, numbing my limbs. I shake my head, mute.
The nurse gives me a concerned frown, but she leaves the room to give us privacy.
When the door clicks shut, the worry slips from Louie’s face. “What am I to do with you, darling? What did you hope to accomplish with that little stunt of yours?”
I clench my fists beneath the thin hospital blanket, my fingernails digging crescents into my palms. Anger and fear war within me, my Omega instincts screaming to submit, to placate the Alpha before me. But I’d rather die.
“You really do test my patience.” Louie reaches out, his fingers brushing my hair from my forehead in a mockery of tenderness. “But I have to admit, it’s part of your charm.”
My skin crawls at his touch, and I flinch away.
His chuckle holds a dark edge. “Still so feisty, even now. Don’t worry, darling. I forgive you for trying to escape. Again.”
I swallow hard, the cloying poison of his pheromones on my tongue.
“The doctors say you’ll be all better soon,” Louie continues, his tone deceptively light. “Then I’ll take you home, where you belong. No more escaping, Chloe. I’ve made sure of that. The maids are moving your belongings into my bedroom, so I can keep a closer eye on you.”
My mind races with the sick possibilities of what he might do to force my submission.
A whimper rises in my throat, but I choke it down. Every fiber of my being screams at me to obey, to appease this Alpha. My Omega curls into herself, desperate to avoid the punishment that will come from this latest attempt.
But beneath that primal fear is a spark of refusal to give in. No matter how small, I cling to it even as my body trembles.
Louie leans in closer, his breath hot against my ear. “You’re mine, Chloe. My sweet little Omega, and I’ll never let you go.”
His words slither over my skin, insidious and inescapable. I turn my face toward the blank white wall. Trapped in this sterile room, weak from starvation and overdose, I’ve never felt so powerless.
A knock at the door startles me, and Louie straightens with an annoyed growl.
“Mr. Santaro?” the nurse says, her voice polite but firm. “Afternoon visiting hours are over.”
Louie’s jaw clenches, irritation flashing across his chiseled features.
For a moment, I think he might refuse, might insist on staying. But he stands, adjusting his gold chain with a sharp tug. “Of course. I have some business to attend to, anyway.”
He leans down, his lips brushing my forehead in a show of affection. I flinch at the contact, the scent of almonds and anise overwhelming me.
“Don’t worry, darling, someone will be right outside the whole time,” Louie murmurs, his breath hot against my skin. “You won’t be going anywhere.”
The warning in his tone comes through loud and clear.
As he strides toward the door, I catch the nurse’s eye, silently pleading. This might be my only chance. The machines beep faster again, signaling my rising panic.
Louie pauses, his hand on the doorknob. He turns back, his eyes boring into mine. I will myself not to look away, not to show the desperation clawing at me.
The nurse clears her throat. “Mr. Santaro, I must insist. Ms. Richardson needs her rest if she’s to recover.”
Louie hesitates, suspicion etched into every line of his face, but finally he nods, a tight smile stretching across his lips. “Take good care of her.”
The door closes behind him with a soft click, and I sag against the pillows, a shaky breath escaping.
The nurse moves to my bedside, concern creasing her brow as she adjusts the IV. “Are you all right, sweetie?”
Tears prick at the corners of my eyes, but I blink them back. I can’t fall apart, not now. This might be my only chance. “Please, I need to make a phone call. It’s an emergency.”
She hesitates, glancing toward the door. Conflict plays across her face, the desire to help warring with the fear of repercussions.
“I…” She shakes her head. “I’m sorry, I can’t. It’s against hospital policy.”
“Please, he’s holding me hostage.” My fingers twist in the thin blanket. “If he takes me away, I won’t get another opportunity to escape.”
The nurse bites her lip, her brow furrowed.
For a long, agonizing moment, she says nothing. Then her shoulders sag, and she reaches into her pocket to pull out a cell phone.
“You have one minute,” she whispers, pressing it into my trembling hand. “Make it count.”
My heart races as I clutch the phone, the plastic case slick with sweat from my palms. The keypad blurs before me, and I blink to clear my vision. My fingers hover over the numbers, my mind blank.
Who do I call? Grady is gone. The police? Louie probably has some of them bought off. The Misty Pines pack?
I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to focus.
The Alphas. They’re my only hope. Doubt rises, but I push it aside as I pull up their website and punch in the number for Misty Pines, praying that someone, anyone, will answer.
The phone rings once, twice, three times. Each second feels like an eternity, my breath caught in my throat. Please, I beg, please pick up.
A familiar voice comes through the speaker. “Misty Pines Resort. How may I help you?”
Relief crashes over me, so intense that I stifle a sob.
“Kyle,” I rush out, glancing at the door. “It’s Chloe. Can you help me?”
“Chloe?” Surprise sharpens his tone. “Everyone’s been going crazy? Where are you?”
The words tumble out of me. “I’m at the hospital. I don’t have time to explain, but I need someone to come get me right away.”
“Which hospital?” Kyle demands. “What’s the room number?”
I peer up at the nurse. “Where am I?”
She shifts from one foot to the other and wrings her hands. “Mosswood Care Center. Room three-fifteen.”
I relay the information, my voice breaking at the end. “Please hurry. I don’t know how much time I have.”
“Holden and Dominic are already in Mosswood,” Kyle says. “They’ll come right away.”
“Wait!” I rush out before he disconnects. “There’s a guard watching my room.”
“They’ll figure it out,” he reassures me. “Just hang on. Someone will come for you.”
The call ends, and I return the phone with shaking hands. “Thank you.”
She slips it back into her pocket, her expression full of sympathy. “I hope they arrive soon.”
Me, too, I think, sinking back against the pillows. Me, too.
I curl up on my side, pulling the thin hospital blanket around my shoulders. The scent of antiseptic mingles with the lingering traces of Louie’s nauseating pheromones, making my stomach churn. Eyes closing, I try to block out the harsh fluorescent lights and the fear that pulses through me.
Time seems to stretch and distort, each minute an eternity. My ears strain for any sound of footsteps in the hallway, my heart leaping at the slightest noise.
Is it Louie coming back to claim me? Or is it my Alphas?
As the minutes tick by, doubt creeps in, insidious whispers in the back of my mind. What if Kyle can’t reach them? What if they don’t arrive in time? Or what if all my worries prove real, and they don’t care?
Worse yet, what if Louie discovers what I’ve done?
The thought sends a shiver down my spine, and I curl in on myself even tighter.
I wish I had my shamrock necklace. I need all the luck I can get right now.
Instead, I rub my thumb over the inside of my wrist, the steady thrum of my pulse a reminder that I’m still here, still fighting.